


Oh god, it's genetic

by IDsimmons



Series: In the Right Direction [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Episode: s06e06 Inescapable, Future Fic, Kid Fic, Perthshire Cottage, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-31 10:46:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19424398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IDsimmons/pseuds/IDsimmons
Summary: Settle down with a kid in a cottage in Perthshire was the dream, right? Until the day FitzSimmons realizes that a kid with his temperament and her attitude plus their collective genius just might be more than a match for them.





	1. Chapter 1

_Oh God, it's genetic._ Fitz groaned as his five year old daughter sat on the floor, arms crossed, sandy curls wild, his own eyes glaring up at him. She had her monkey socks pulled over her striped pants and mismatched shoes on, both left foot ones. He was going to miss his flight. He leaned down with a sense of deja vous.

"You are being the supreme, absolute worst "

"You are a buttface"

"Oh that's charming, just like your mother. Peggy where are my keys?"

"I don't know? Maybe in outer space. Probably. "

"Peggy! I'm sorry you can't come with me but I need my keys"

"Maybe Mr. Monkey stole them." Fitz took a deep breath and pressed his fingers to his eyes. It's not her fault she didn't want him to leave but she needed a better coping mechanism than hiding his keys every time he needed to go. His heart broke when he walked into her room to see her dressed and her little suitcase packed with Mr. Monkey on top ready to go but then she hid his keys and refused to give them up. A daughter with both his and Jemma's cleverness, his temper and her attitude was bound to lead to trouble and on most days it was the best kind of combination but right now, she was enemy number one.

"I think that Uncle Deke borrowed the car. Yeah, yup. He needed it last night."

"Well thats funny because Uncle Deke is waiting for me in Boston." He raises his eyebrows and waits as they stare each other down waiting for the other to give in. When neither budge they simultaneously call for back up.

"Mummy!"

"Jemma!"

"Ugh Fitz, are you the adult or not?"

"Yeah well she started it."

"Fitz, you've literally handled space aliens and yet our five year old can take you down." She rolled her eyes in tandem with Peggy. "Peggy. Where are your dad's keys?" She gave her a no nonsense look that she used on Fitz often when they were much younger. Peggy went to the bathroom and returned with a chemical solution that she definitely should not have and sheepishly handed it over to her mum. "Peggy, what is that? What did i tell about mixing chemicals without adult supervision?"

"I made it to melt daddy's keys! So then he won't leave and we won't be sad."

"Alright, but what's in it? I need to know, sweetie. I know you were just trying to help." Peggy crossed her arms and shrugged, refusing to answer. Fitz picked her up.

"Peggy, how about you point to what you used, ok? So we know what we are dealing with." Peggy gave a patented Jemma eye roll and pointed to their lab door. The pair looked at each other wordlessly, already each working on new solutions to Peggy proof the door. Jemma unlocked it and walked down the steps Peggy hopping down and grabbing Jemma's hand, eyes lit up as she pointed excitedly to each chemical and explained the reaction she was expecting. Fitz watched in awe at his little Jemma and fell in love all over again. He smiled and looked at his watch. He still had a little bit of time if he ignored all of Jemma's scheduled in cushion to ensure the smoothest and stress free airplane travel. Smooth and stress free went out the window a long time ago. "Hey monkey, if you go get my keys we will have time to test your hypothesis with something that I have over here. Sound like a deal?" Twin smiles beamed up at him as Peggy bolted up the stairs to get his keys. Jemma tugged on his cardigan sleeve distracting him from his search of his work bench for something similar to the size and consistency of his keys. He could probably make something really quick....Jemma's head buried in his shoulder and he automatically pressed his lips to her forehead. Leaving them was the absolute, supreme worst he decided, but it was the trade off for the cottage in Perthshire. They were still helping with the occasional mission when it couldn't be avoided with SHIELD hence what they thought was a secret child proof lab in the basement but it seemed their child had other ideas. They used to bring Peggy along but now she asks too many questions that they can't answer and at the moment they aren't quite ready to leave her behind. He offered to go this time since it was mostly him they needed. Separation anxiety still clung to both of them and Peggy could pick up on it. Jemma laid her ear directly over his heart beat and her fingers played with the buttons of his sweater. It would always be worse for her. Fleeting moments where her brain and heart reminded her of the year she spent without him in the world. It wasn't the first time nor the last that they would have to separate but it was never easy. They heard little feet pounding down the steps and jump as she finished her landing with a flourish and a grin, brandishing the lost keys that were wet and stuck with bird seed. Jemma hid her face but he could feel her smile through his shirt and the vibrations of her laugh as she tried to school her face back into its serious no nonsense position required. Fitz had his nose scrunched up and his hands frantically began moving as he stepped away from her. His also frantically moving child dropped the keys into one of his flailing hands. Fitz let out a breath "Why are they wet?"

"Because Jane or Darwin pooped on them so I cleaned it" Fitz let out a squeak and immediately dropped the keys. Peggy rolled her eyes and honestly he was a little bit afraid of how much she inherited from Jemma even though most people think the little girl was all him. "Ugh, daddy its just bird poop. Mum says It's a completely normal biological function and quite fascinating with Finches…"

"Ok, fantastic there's two of them. Two Jemmas. What have we done? Great. Fine. Just don't put any dead things next to my lunch, missy."

"Ugh Fitz, that was one time and as much as I would love to get into that whole story we need to hurry up with this experiment or you are going to miss your flight." Fitz gathers some scrap metal from his work bench and brings it over to the fume hood where they set Peggy's creation. Jemma grabs her lab coat and goggles and an extra set of goggles for Peggy. "Safety first, bug"

"But I don't have a lab coat how am I supposed to do experiments and science stuff if I don't have a super coat to protect me?"

"Here, sweetie you can take mine. You and your mum are the biochemists after all. You guys are in charge and I'll observe back here, sound good?" He takes his coat off and wraps it around his little girl rolling the sleeves up and hiding his laugh at the serious expression on his daughter's face matching the one he's memorized decades ago always beside him the whole damn time. His coat dragged on the floor and the goggles were too big as she leaned in close to her mum and listened to every word. He grabbed his phone and snapped a picture or fifty. He's a sap, he won't deny it. Jemma dropped the metal into the chemical mixture and waited. Nothing happened. Peggy's face sank and shoulders slumped but she kept her smile on her face. Another Jemma habit. "Hey, Monkey I have to leave now ok?" He saw her chin wobble and it almost undid him. He never needed to leave again, right? He knelt down and hugged her tight "How about this, you and mum can work together on this experiment and get it to work. Most of my stuff fails the first go too, don't worry that's just how science goes sometimes, then your mum comes in and fixes it. I'll be gone for four whole days so you could keep a lab journal and write down all your observations and then when I get back we'll see if we can repeat the experiment and melt the metal again because you know it's only successful-"

"If you can replicate it-I know daddy."

"Ok, I love you to the stars and back"

"I love you to Infinity and beyond " she squeezed him with all of her strength and buried her face in his neck. "I miss you already daddy. Can't we come with you?"

"I miss you too. But you and your mum are going to have so much fun and I'll be home before you can say Hominoidea and what about Jane and Darwin? You've been working very hard on your finch observations you don't want to just stop. You take care of them and look after mum alright? One more hug for the road? " Peggy clung to him like a spider monkey as he made his way around the house gathering his things, keys successfully in hand he puts Peggy down on the porch step and kisses her forehead. "Love you."

"Love you more" Jemma hands him her signature sandwich and wraps her arms around him.

"Be careful."

"Jem, I'm not going into the field."

"I know but still just be careful, it feels wrong Every time I don't go with you. Tell everyone I said hi." She presses her lips to his in a long familiar dance until he pulls away and she feels his lips against her forehead and a whisper of I love you and off he went.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Is it time yet?"   
"No bug, a few more hours now."  
"But you said daddy would be home when the little hand got to the 3 and the big one all the way to the six" and they are both past that." She huffed in annoyance and flopped down on the couch.  
"His airplane got delayed so it wil be a few more hours."  
"He's stuck in the sky again! We have to go get him. Mum, we have to save him immediately!" The girl's face was serious, as she gripped her mother's face between her hands "We need to call Aunt Daisy and Aunt May. Mum, why aren't you moving let's go. We have to rescue daddy he's stuck in the stars again. " A sad smile came over Jemma's face as she tugged her now pacing mini Fitz full of frantic energy and ideas, to her by the oversized black hoodie that the small girl pilfered from her parent's closet. Jemma claimed that same one once when she needed to surround herself with comfort and seems like her daughter had the same instinct. It was a good hoodie.  
"Your dad is alright bug, sometimes airplanes just take longer than they thought or their schedule gets behind. He'll just be a little late, that's all. No need to call in the rescue squad yet, ok?" she kissed her nose and pulled her to her.   
"Why don't we watch your Finches for a little bit? After we can make a pillow fort and watch a movie? And guess what?"  
"What?" Peggy pulled back, rocking back and forth on her heels chewing on the drawstring, very hesitant to let go of her anxiety looking so much like her dad it made Jemma's heart clench.   
"I got stuff to make our own pizza" she smiled "we can surprise your dad!" Peggy considered the proposal for a moment, pushed her wild hair out of her face impatiently and dropped the hoodie string from her mouth, smiling wide.   
"Ok. Come on, we have so much to do." Letting out an exasperated sigh that Jemma had no one to blame but herself for. Hand in hand the pair sprinted to Peggy's bedroom with her soft yellow walls and everything a budding scientist could ever need. Bookshelves overflowed with notebooks, stories and collected specimens. Spiral notebooks filled with Finch behaviors, experiments and new ideas covered her desk along with a microscope sometimes perched too precariously for Jemma's liking. Fitz's old telescope sat by the window next to the birdcage that housed their daughter's beloved Finches, Darwin and Jane. Glow in the dark stars painstakingly applied into accurate constellations by Fitz because in his opinion what was the point otherwise. Jemma watched as Peggy went to her desk and grabbed the fuchsia notebook, fuchsia for Finches obviously, the little girl had said to Fitz when he asked what notebook she wanted to use for her observations. A girl after her own heart. Good organizational skills were obviously genetic. Peggy was sitting back watching from a far enough distance that she wouldn't influence the birds behavior, every once in a while writing something down. Jemma felt an overwhelming love for her daughter at that moment and all of the wonder the world still holds for her. Peggy is teaching her to love science and to look at it with new eyes after her years with Shield forced a bitter cynicism into her beloved world. How exciting it is when it's not being wielded as a weapon or being forcefully extracted from your brain under threats and torture. It's observing two finches interact, it's the life cycle of a tadpole or caterpillar, it's getting the right chemical reaction to melt a bit a scrap metal, science is fun again and her daughter taught her that. Peggy closed her notebook and put them back on her desk.   
"All done?" Peggy nodded. "Alright, we are going to divide and conquer. You are going to find every pillow and blanket in the house and make a big pile in the living room while I get the stuff out for the pizzas. Understand the mission?"  
"Mission understood, Captain!" Peggy took off running with the laser focus of both of her parents. While Jemma made her way to the kitchen pulling out two regular pizza crusts and one mini one. She lined up the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. "Hey, Agent Peggy, side mission. Should you choose to accept!" Peggy ran in full speed and tackled her legs.  
"I accept!" Jemma laughed and picked her up.   
"You don't even know what it is yet."  
"It's a mission from you of course I accept, Mum." rolling her eyes "Besides I'm Agent Peggy Carter and I'm the best agent in whole wide world, no mission can scare me "  
"You are your father's daughter. Alright Agent Carter. I need a tomato and basil from the garden. Can you handle it?"  
"Yes, ma'am!" Peggy hopped down and skipped the backdoor grabbing the basket by the door leaving her socks discarded one after the other in a trail instead of putting shoes on. She returned quickly with a bright red tomato and a handful of basil apparently discarding the basket somewhere along the line.   
"Thank you, bug! Wash your hands so can help make these" Peggy pulled her step stool out and leaned into the sink wetting her shirt and most of her arms along with cleaning her hands. Jemma cut up the tomato and basil while Peggy swirled sauce onto the premade crusts and then carefully covered every square inch in cheese. She then made a happy face in pepperoni on her own mini pizza. She then with the fierce concentration of a child decorating a masterpiece she moved to Fitz's pizza. She made three happy faces and then a slightly wonky shaped heart that covered the rest of pizza. Jemma scattered the fresh tomatoes and basil over her own and placed all three into the oven and setting a timer.  
"Ready to build the fort Agent?" Peggy launched herself off her step stool and her frown appeared again.   
"But we need Daddy, he builds the best forts because he's the smartest engineer on the planet!"  
"Ok, One- note to self make fun of Fitz for that Two- I-I mean we, can build just as good a fort as Dad." Peggy set her hands on her hips and looked at her in utter disbelief at Jemma's claim.  
"Yeah, ok Mum. If that's what you believe." Sashaying past her after patting her arm. She really hated when their genetics worked against them. No one ever mentions that. The amazing frustration of seeing your own attitude, the love of your life's stubbornness and temper, and both of their genius rolled into one terrifying, awe inspiring little human who has his face and her eye roll.   
"Excuse me-" Peggy lets out a shriek from the living room and Jemma goes into full fight mode sprinting the short distance to the front of the house. Her heart stops thrumming in her ears when she sees Fitz currently ensnared in a hug rival to a Spider Monkey, his bags at the front door and pillow fort already assembled.   
"Surprise!"


	3. Chapter 3

Jemma ran over and hugged him tight, squishing their daughter who is stuck to him like a barnacle, kissing him, her whole body relaxing now that he was back by her side.  
"I've missed you." Jemma said into his chest, face buried in his shoulder.  
"I've missed you so much and Deke...ugh how is he our grand-"  
"Fitz! Not in front of-"  
"Oh, right. He is the absolute worst. Why they put him in charge of the Science Department is beyond me, it's like talking to an untrained puppy, in fact no that's an insult to a puppy"  
"He is just trying to help, Fitz."  
"Yeah, but he talks so much, all the time about every passing thought in his brain and he's so clingy and he won't stop calling me Bobo." Fitz finished grumpily.  
"He just wants to impress you is all. Give him a chance. He'll grow on you."  
"Well I'm just glad to be home" he did that adorable thing with his nose and that half smile that Jemma loved and she was basking in particular brand of warmth that came with Fitz being next to her. "And I've got presents!" Peggy, who was currently wrapped as tightly around Fitz as she could manage, perked up.  
"Presents?"  
"Yup, for my two favorite people" Fitz stood up and Peggy held on tighter. "Ok, then Monkey, guess your coming with me." Jemma laughed as he struggled with the clinging five year old and his bag, stealthily taking a picture because Fitz wasn't the only sap in this family. He set the bag down and adjusted Peggy so that she was seated beside him on the couch. "I figured since we have an official new scientist helping us with our experiments, she is going to need an official super coat," he pulled a miniature white coat with the SHIELD patch emblazoned above the little pocket holding child sized safety goggles. He caught Jemma's teary, proud expression and blushed. Peggy shrieked with joy at a decibel they weren't sure should be produced by humans and tackled Fitz into a very aggressively, excited hug before jumping around the room and then circling back to Jemma to show her everything in detail like she hadn't been sitting there the whole time.  
"Bug, do you want to try it on?" Peggy's eyes widened as she caressed the patch and lightly ran her fingers over the fabric before emphatically nodding. Jemma helped her into the sleeves and then did up the buttons and straightening out her collar as per her habit with Fitz. "There, perfect, Agent Peggy Carter officially reporting for duty." Jemma said smiling at her daughter, tucking a curl behind her ear.  
"No Mummy, Agent Peggy Fitz-Simmons. Like you and Dad. I'm a real scientist like you now!" She smushed Jemma's emotional face between her hands and smiled brightly before taking off to her room to show Jane and Darwin. Jemma moved next to Fitz and snuggled into his side.  
"You dear, perfect man" she pressed kisses to his whole face "I love every molecule of you." Fitz marveled at his wife's ability to take his breath away after all these years making him feel both loved and worthy of her love and this life they built together.  
"I brought something back for you as well"  
"Fitz, I don't need presents, I just need you "  
"I mean I am spectacular but Daisy will be pissed if you don't open-"  
"Oh its from Daisy! Is it the-"  
"Oh I see how it is, I'm trying to be all romantic and nothing but its from Daisy so now your excited."  
"You're a gift, alright. Give it!"  
"No, I don't think I want to now" Fitz crossed his arms and scrunched his face.  
"Peggy!" Jemma called and the girl burst into the room all giggling energy and wild hair still wearing her lab coat and now her goggles. "Mum, I was solving a crisis, what do you need?"  
"Agent Peggy. New mission. Code red. Attack your father until releases my present from Aunt Daisy!" Peggy slowly walked over to the coffee table and carefully removed her new coat and goggles before launching herself completely on Fitz who barely caught her before she started tickling him and laughing hysterically at the faces he was pulling.  
"Alright, I give. Using my own daughter against me. That's fighting dirty." Both girls stuck their tongues out at him and he realized he was doomed. Peggy raced back to her bedroom to finish solving whatever crisis she had created while Jemma still was laughing at a very disgruntled Fitz.  
"Poor Fitzy" Jemma kissed his nose and smiled warmly. He unhanded the present from Daisy, a new secure phone where they can facetime anywhere in the Universe. The timer for the pizza went off and Jemma moved to get it but Fitz stopped her. "I'll get the food, you go tell Agent Fitz-Simmons it's time to eat."  
"Kay." She kissed him again and then made her way to Peggy's room. She opened the door to find her daughter staring very intently at her notebook looking like she couldn't quite solve what was in front of her. "Hey, bug you know two heads are better than one. Need some help with what you're working on?"  
"How come daddy doesn't have a first name?" Peggy said abruptly. Whatever question Jemma was expecting, this was not it. Reading frustration and puzzlement all over her daughter's face she moved next to her and looked at her notebook.  
"What makes you think he doesn't have a first name?" Then she actually read the page in front of her "Agent Peggy Fitz-Simmons, Agent Jemma Fitz-Simmons, Agent Fitz Fitz-Simmons." Jemma put a hand on her daughter's small shoulder and guided her to the bed where she could sit with her. "You're dad does have a first name, bug. It's Leopold. " Peggy made a face. "Yeah, he makes that same face when someone calls him that. He doesn't like his first name so he goes by Fitz."  
"What if I don't like my first name, can I be called Fitz like Daddy? Or I guess I can be called Simmons. I have options. I'll go ask Leopold what he thinks"  
"Sweetie, that's not. No. Sit down, right now. You will not be calling Fitz that. One. You do not call someone something you know they don't like just because you think it's funny. It's not funny, it's hurtful. Two. That's not the whole reason." Jemma paused and took a breath not knowing how exactly to explain Fitz's abusive father or how much to explain. She really shouldn't be the one telling this story. She should have known Peggy wouldn't just accept the easy answer. "Your dad's father was not a nice man. He said a lot of things that hurt your Dad and his father called him Leopold and that's why he doesn't like it. Peggy furrowed her brow in concentration at this new information. Chewing on her lip and hesitant "How can his first name be Fitz though?" Jemma was curious about the question after giving her daughter all of this information, she must be stuck on something very specific.  
"What do you mean? He's just Fitz, just like you are Peggy."  
"But-" Peggy huffed in frustration "there are three of us" gesturing to herself and Jemma. "Agents use their last names, Mummy" They both turned when they heard a laugh at the doorway.  
"Fitz, a little help here?"  
"Nah, you're doing great but the pizza is getting cold." Jemma glared at him, maybe she could tell Peggy that he prefers to be called Milton and save herself the trouble. Fitz races Peggy to the kitchen and they divide up their respective pizzas and settle into the pillow fort, ready to start the movie. Fitz kneels down in front of Peggy setting their plates on the ground and sticks out his hand. "Leo Fitz-Simmons. Engineer. Nice to meet you. " Peggy squared her shoulders and gripped his much larger hand and shook it. "Peggy Fitz-Simmons. Biologist. Nice to meet you, too." She giggled and he tugged on her hand to pull her into a hug. Jemma smiled warmly at the pair. Just when she thought she couldn't love him more, he does that. She knew he would be a good dad even when he had panic filled doubts in the months leading up to Peggy's birth but seeing them together makes her believe that all of the pain that they endured was well worth it. They both had moments where they had no idea what they were doing or the best way to handle their baby genius as Daisy calls her but they figured out a long time ago at 16 and achingly shy that together they were unstoppable. As they snuggled side by side into Fitz's annoyingly perfectly constructed (she will concede that he might be better at that one thing but not out loud-never) pillow fort with their pizza and started the movie Fitz and Peggy throwing back their heads with matching laughs, Jemma knew there was no one else she would want beside her the whole damn time.


End file.
